Stay-wire-attaching device.



No. 63|,68l. Patented Aug. 22, r899. B. A. STODDARD.

STAY WIRE ATTACHING DEVICE.

(Application filed. Jan. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

n1: nowms Pam's m1. wovaumoq WASHINGTON. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJ MAN A. STODDARD, OF MOSHERVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALFTO ROMONDO DAV IS, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

STAY-WlRE-ATTAQHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,681, dated August22, 1899.

. Application filed January 6, 1899. Serial No. 701,356. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJMAN A. SToD- DARD, a citizen of theUnited'States, residing at Mosherville, in the county of Hillsdale andState of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Fence-Machine, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for applying stay-wiresto horizontal strand-wires for the'fabrication of a wire fence in thefield; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a simplestructure by which the stay-wire may be securely interlocked or twistedaround the horizontal strand-wires rapidly and easily.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of the machinein which provision is made for readily taking out an empty bobbin orspool and for replacing the same with a filled bobbin, and also topermit the bobbin to rotate freely within the supporting means by whichit is securely held against displacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding thehorizontal wires during the application of the stay-wire thereto, andwhich also serves to space the stay-wires in their application to thehorizontal strandwires.

. \Vith these ends in view the invention consists in the novelcombination of elements and in the construction and arrangement ofparts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand theinvention, I have illustrated the samein the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a fence with my spacingdevice applied thereto and showing the machine in operative position.Fig. 2 is .a perspective view of the machine on an enlarged scale. Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the machine, represented byFig. 2; Fig. A is a transverse section through the machine on the planeindicated by the dotted line 4 1. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlargedperspective viewof the spacing device.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several figures of the drawings.

The stay-wire-applying machine 10 of my invention has a head-block 11,which may be cast or otherwise formed in a single piece. This head-blockis provided with a threaded opening 12, and near one end it isfurthermore provided with a transverse bolt-hole 13. A tubular needle 14of any desired length is provided at one end with a reduced or conicalextremity 15, and its other end or heel has a male thread 16, adapted tobe screwed firmly into the threaded opening 12 of the head-block,whereby the needle is firmly and detachably united to the head-block,and it opens through the latter for the free passage of the wire from abobbin or spool. A pair of supporting-plates 16 17 are arranged inparallel positions on v one side of the headblock, and thesesupporting-plates are ofiset at points intermediate of their length, asat 18, to provide a space of sufficient width for the accommodation ofthe supply spool or bobbin. The front ends of the plates are perforated,as at 19, and they are arranged to overlap the perforated part 13 of theheadblock, so that the openings in the supportingplates will becoincident with the hole 13 in the head-block for the reception. of abolt 20,

:that serves to firmly and detachably fasten the supporting-plates tothe head-block. The supporting-plates have inwardly-extending flanges 21at their separated ends, and on the opposing faces of these plates areprovided I cylindrical bosses 22, that lie in coincidentpo- 'sitions andform the journals for the spool or bobbin 23.

I a This spool is designed to carry the wire that forms the stay for thefence, and it is constructed with a tubular arbor 24, which opensthrough the heads of the spool in order that the journals 22 of thesupporting-plates may be readily fitted thereto.

In applying the stay-wires toa fence it is frequently necessary toremove an empty bobbin or spool in order that a filled bobbin may becarried by the machine, and my construction provides for the readyinterchange of the bobbins. It is evident that the supporting-plates maybe sprung apart or the bolt 20 loosened for the separation of the 100plates, so as to withdraw the journals 22 from the ends of the tubularspool-arbor, thus enabling the spool when empty to be taken out of themachine. A filled spool may now be placed in position between the platesfor the journals to enter its arbor and the bolt 20 may be tightened forthe purpose of clamping the supporting-plates firmly to the headblock.The supporting-plates serve to sustain the spool or bobbin in properrelation to the tubular needle 14: for the wire to be led from the spoolinto and through the needle, and this bobbin is mounted idly on thejournals, so as to rotate with freedom and ease thereon.

In connection with my machine for applying the stay-wire to thehorizontal strandwires I employ a standard or bar 25 for the purpose ofsupporting the strand-wires at the places where the stay is to beintertwined or united therewith, and this standard is equipped withmeans which serve to indicate the proper spacing of the stay-wires inapplying the latter to the strand-wires. The standard is equipped with aseries of collars 26, each of which is provided with a socketed boss 27,that receives the binding-screw 28, adapted to impinge against thestandard for the purpose of adjustably clamping the collars 26 in thedesired position on the standard. The upper end of the standard has ahookshaped plate 29, which may be fitted on the upper horizontal wire ofthe fence for the purpose of suspending the standard or bar, whereby thecollars 26 may engage with the horizontal strand-wires for the purposeof supporting them in their proper spaced relations. The collars may begrouped in any desired positions on the standardthat is to say, they maybe spaced at uniform distances apart-but I prefer to group the collarsat the lower part of the standard more closely together than the collarsat the upper part of the standard, as shown by Figs. 1 and 5, for thepurpose of arranging the wires at the lower part of the fence quiteclose together, and thereby prevent small stock from passing through thefence. The standard 25 also supports aspacing-arm 30, which is attachedto a collar 31, that is fitted on the standard at a point intermediateof its length and is equipped with a binding-screw 32, which serves tohold the collarand the spacing-arm in proper position on the standard.The spacing-arm is equal in length to the distance between two adjoiningstay-wires, and the arm serves to indicate the distance of the standardfrom the previously-applied staywire, whereby the stay-wires may beunited to the horizontal strands at regular intervals.

The operation may be described as follows: The horizontal strand-wiresare first stretched between the posts, and they are arranged at thedesired intervals apart. The collars 26 on the standard 25 are spacedcorrespondingly to the strand-wires, and they are secured firmly to thestandard by their binding-screws 28. A filled spool or bobbin isintroduced between the plates of the weavingmachine for the journals 22to enter the tubular arbor, and thereby loosely support the spool inposition, and the unconfined end of the wire from this spool is threadedor drawn through the tubular needle. The standard 25 is applied at theproper place to the horizontal strand-wires for the hook-shaped plate 29to engage with the upper wire and the collars 26 to support theintermediate and bottom wires. The machine 10 is now used to supply thewire which is twisted around the strand-wires to form the stay 34:, andthis machine is first operated to connect one end of the wire from itsbobbin to the bottom strandwire, thence to the second strand-wire, andso on throughout the series. In using the machine it is held by thesupporting-plates 16 17 in one hand of the operator for the needle 14 torest on the strand-wire in a position oblique to its length,substantially as indicated by Fig. 1, and the machine is carried ormoved around the strand-wire for the purpose of intertwining orinterlocking the wire from the bobbin with the strand-wire. In myinvention the machine may be moved from left to right, or vice versa,from right to left, for the intertwining of the stay-wire with thestrand-wires, and the two wires are united together by an interlockingjoint, which renders it necessary to carry the machine only once aroundeach strand-wire. It will be understood that the stay is united to thestrand-wires at the points where the latter engage with the collars ofthe standard 25, and the employment of the tubular needle en ables themachine to be held and operated at one side of the standard, while thestay-wire passes'from the bobbin through the tubular needle in orderthat it may be united properly with the strand-wires at the points wherethe latter are engaged with the collars. The ends of the stay aresecured firmly to the top and bottom strand-wires, and after the stayhas been applied to the wires it may be severed from the length of wireon the bobbin. The standard 25 is now shifted along the strandwires fora distance equal to the length of the arm 30, the end of which should beplaced opposite to the line where the stay-wire is previousl y appliedto the strands, and the operation of applying another stay-wire to thestrands is repeated.

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts,while their essential features are retained and the spirit of theinvention embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the preciseform of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is-- 1. Astay-wire-applying implement provided with a tubular needle, and with arevoluble bobbinsupported contiguous to the heel of said needle andarranged to supply a wire IIO continuously thereto, whereby theimplement may be positioned for the needle to lie obliquely to theline-wire in applying the stay thereto.

2. A fence-machine comprising a tubular needle, supporting-plates, and aspool or bobbin journaled in said plates and adapted to supply a wire tothe needle, substantially as.

on the plates and removable at will therefrom, substantially asdescribed.

5. A fence-machine consisting of a headblock, the supporting-platesarranged parallel to each other, fastened detachably to the head-blockand provided on their opposing faces with the journals, a spool orbobbin fitted between the plates and having a hollow arbor whichreceives the journals, and an elongated tubular needle fast with theheadblock, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, BENJMAN A. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

DANIEL F. OULVER, J OHN S. GRENELL.

